Chapter 2 — Nha Hoan Escaped From Second Family

I cried and begged, but she remained unmoved. It wasn't until all three fingers were pricked by the silver needle that Mother Sun finally gave up. My whole body was drenched in cold sweat and I fell limply to the ground.

“There are no rules!”

Ton ma ma used her strength to pinch the inside of my thigh a few times.

"Don't you know how to thank your wife for your teachings?"

I struggled to get up and knelt down straight.

“Thank you so much, ma'am.”

The shoes embroidered with gold thread stepped on my injured fingers. I bit my lip, trying to suppress the scream that was about to burst out.

“From now on, every time you finish serving the young master, you have to come to me to learn the rules, do you understand?”

“I... I already know.”

She gently stroked the peony in her hair.

“The maids in the palace don't understand the rules. When it's spread outside, people just say that the maids like me don't know how to teach.”

That's her new rule. At night, I served the second master several times, and the next day I had to go to her place and have that many needles stuck into my fingers. In just three short days, my ten fingers turned purple and black. That morning. Just as she finished teaching me, the little monk next to Ta Lan Dinh came and said that the young master called me to the study to serve the pen and ink. Do Cam Duong was unhappy and frowned:

“I know.”

She sighed softly.

“With my finger so swollen, how can I sharpen the ink for my husband?”

Ton ma ma immediately grabbed my still bleeding fingertip and pressed hard on the cold block of ice. I was in so much pain that I was shivering, my eyes were dark every time. The embroidered toe of the shoe lifts my chin.

"Wash your face clean. Don't think about pretending to be pitiful in front of Lan Dinh."

She sat back leisurely, then uttered a sentence that terrified me:

“Aren't you curious where your three good sisters have gone?”

3

I don't know how I got to the study room. If I hadn't seen with my own eyes Ha Ha digging through the bucket of leftover water looking for food at the back door, I would probably still think that the young lady was just scaring me. The one-eyed old man grabbed her hair and pulled her away like a dead dog. When Ha Ha saw me, a scary wheezing sound came from his throat.

“Very soon… it will be your turn…”

For the first time, I felt real fear. Ta Lan Dinh's favor is a life-saving talisman. Do Cam Duong will eliminate the women next to him one by one. In the warm study room, the fragrance wafts away. Ta Lan Dinh sat neatly in front of a large pear wood table, slowly opening a package of delicate silver utensils. He curled his fingers and tapped lightly on the table.

“Come here.”

I trembled. I don't want it. The person behind the desk frowned slightly.

“Thin Tuyet?”

That's a sign he's about to get angry. I had to take off my clothes and lie down on my stomach, revealing my entire back to him. On the smooth white back is a picture of a cold apricot he has not yet "painted" yet. Cold fingers gently stroked my back, making me shiver.

"Apricot blossoms must indeed bloom in a place as white as snow, so lively to be so beautiful that they capture people's souls."

The silver needle in his hand touched the vermilion color on the table, then mercilessly stabbed down. I bit my lower lip, both hands gripping the edge of the table. Suddenly a handkerchief appeared before my eyes. I turned my head, facing his long, narrow, smiling eyes.

“Bite this and it won't hurt.”

I took the towel in my mouth. He patted my head.

“Good.”

Everyone says that the Ta family's second generation is famous in the world, and a painting of him is difficult to find. Only we know. It's not that his paintings are difficult to find, but he is passionate about painting the human body. Unable to find a suitable "canvas", he naturally did not paint. Cold sweat poured down his forehead. When I could hardly bear it, about to faint, he finally finished drawing. The soft silk scarf slowly wiped the tears and sweat from my face. Ta Lan Dinh stroked the bright red apricot blossoms, his eyes both crazy and infatuated.

"Thin Tuyet, you must protect this painting of mine well. When I finish painting, you will be the most beautiful girl in the capital."

“I... I understand.”

4

I staggered out of the study room. When passing through the garden, the sound of wheels catching on rocks reached my ears. I turned around and discovered that young master Ta Tan Tran was about to fall out of his wheelchair. In an emergency, I quickly rushed forward and used my body to block him. His whole body pressed on me. I was crushed to the point of dizziness. Realizing my pale face, he frantically wanted to get up. But the disabled legs do not listen to commands at all. I helped him back to the wheelchair, trying to force a smile.

"Where do you want to go, young master? My servant will push you."

There was a hint of struggle on his handsome, worldly face. He shyly said:

"I'm sorry, it was all my fault that you were injured."

After speaking, he bowed his head. The white shirt on her body was slightly disheveled, the hem of the shirt was covered in dust, and the green incense bag on her side was also old and dull. I was stunned. In the eyes of the masters of the Ta family, a maid is just an object that can breathe. If you want to hit, then hit, if you want to scold, then scold. Where is the morality of a master apologizing to a servant? A simple white towel was brought before me, still smelling of soapberry. He pointed at the back of my hand, his long eyelashes trembling slightly:

"It's bleeding. Tell the doctor to look at it for you later."

A ripple arose in my heart.

“Yes.”